After a long, long, LONG time away from the fanfiction game, I have returned from the land of goblins, fairies and oddly dark yet hype power metal (if you get the reference you're my hero). This is just kind of a way to get back into it, a practice story if you will. Ty Lee x Zuko from Avatar is a criminally underutilized ship, and since Zuki (my actual favorite ship from the series) is in such spectacular hands, I felt like I could do a bit for this one. Ty Lee is an oddly underutilized character herself, which is somewhat baffling to me. So, this is not my best (hopefully) and just a simple little scenario to set up a little more as I get back into the rhythm of writing. Scene comp, dialog, the juicy bits, all stuff I need practice to get back to. If you happen upon this and enjoy, feel free to leave me criticism and comments. Set a few years after the series, comics included, so Zuko should be about 24 and Ty Lee is around 22. No spicy stuff... yet. Until next time.
As the council meeting dragged on, Ty Lee shifted forward and backward, idly building a little rhythm as she shifted from heel to toe. Hazel eyes gradually began to hood closed, the boredom of the atmosphere around her afforded an immense amount of calm, causing her mind to drift all over the place.
She had been Zuko's bodyguard for several years now, a position that allowed her to observe all of his growth. From angsty, overly emotional teenager to calm, collected leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world. It had most definitely not been easy. Assassination attempts, emotional strain from trying to single handedly change the image of his country in the eyes of the entire world, alongside familial angst would have likely crushed a lesser man.
But she'd known Zuko would be able to handle it.
Not that he had to do it on his own, despite the way he tried to charge headfirst into every situation that popped up. She suspected that would be something that never changed about her long time friend, a fact that made her smile warmly. The young boy she'd met so many years ago had long since grown into a man, trying to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.
With a heavy exhalation, the young woman leaned against the wall to the left side of the wide doors leading to the throne room. The dark green robes marking her as a member of the Kyoshi Warriors hugged her supple chest, before flaring out from the waist. Armor had never been something she liked wearing, feeling as though it made breathing harder, in addition to weighing down on her when it came to movement. But it was an unfortunate trade off she'd been forced to make in order to fit into the ranks of the warrior women.
'I hope I don't end up getting some kind of rash or pimples,' she thought idly, tracing a finger idly across her painted cheek. A silly thing to worry about, as she'd been assured that was not something that would happen by her leader, but in still, silent moments like these she couldn't help but think about silly things. 'Silly, impossible things…' the young man who was ostensibly her superior clouded her mind for a moment, all manner of improper thoughts flashing into her thoughts, eliciting a distinct warming of her cheeks among other parts of her body.
She was his bodyguard, his friend, and that was as far as it went. There was really no way to expect anything else from him. Memories of that day so long ago on that beach ate at her deep within her chest. A lifetime ago, when he was so confused, so angry, his aura so turbulent. But beneath all that, she'd always seen the person he could be. 'I'm freezing~' she'd said, the memory bringing with it a twinge on her heart.
It had been easy enough to shrug off at the time, telling herself she'd just been a silly girl, falling into the same trap as so many other teen girls on the beach at that time. And not wanting to bring any drama to their already ballistically dramatic group of friends. A small shudder ran up her spine as she imagined how Azula would have treated her if she'd caught any kind of hint that there was something more behind those words.
Luckily for her Azula wasn't quite the expert in that area that she was, allowing her to simply get over his brusque dismissal of her notion. How she'd truly wished to feel his strong arms around her slender frame, to drown out the cold of the beach at night.
With a subtle shake of the head, she clapped her cheeks with her palms, getting herself back into the present. A loud shout put her into an instinctive defensive position, her ears listening intently for any sign that there was some kind of issue that would require her help. After a moment another shout sounded in her ear, a heavy sigh escaping her lips as she sunk into a more relaxed position.
Shouting at such meetings was certainly not unusual, which definitely put Zuko on edge by the end of them. She wondered simply what kind of discussion was going on at this meeting. Zuko had mentioned something about the basic agenda but she always found it slightly difficult to listen when he spoke to her. Wherever he went, she was essentially his shadow, her eyes always darting all around looking for threats. Yet they always found themselves focused on his wide back, the toned muscles always slightly flexing with each breath he took.
A hushed bustle of noise sounded from inside, bringing her back to statuesque attention, eyes focusing straight ahead as the Fire Nation's top advisors and other important people began to file out of the ornately decorated throne room. One by one they made their way past her, before dispersing to their own quarters or heading back to their fancy residences within the Fire Nation capital.
Once the last one made their way out, Ty Lee wheeled on her heels, making her way into the cavernous room. There on the far end of the room she saw her long time friend, her theoretical employer, and if she was honest the vision that got her through the occasional long, hormonal day.
Long black hair hung nobly over his shoulders, the golden crown glinting in the flames that illuminated the room. Her heart sank a bit as she looked at him, seeing him exhale a heavy breath before slouching a bit on the gold and ebony throne. 'It must have been a really important meeting,' she thought, the sound of her footsteps carrying throughout the mostly empty room.
"Tough meeting?" she asked as she approached him, soft brown hair bobbing slightly as she knelt down politely in front of her Fire Lord. The dull thud of her heart banged in her chest as he looked up at her, the impossibly warm, deep golden pools of his eyes warming her to the deepest part of her body, deep to her soul. But the dull thud soon slowed as she gave his aura a subtle look, lips curling downward into a small frown at the darkness that was staining it at that particular moment.
"You could say that," he said weakly, the timbre of his voice sending small ripples through her body. When had his voice gotten so deep? The young man sighed heavily, pressing down on his knees as he made to stand, the relief behind him giving an ominous impression. It looked as though he were coming straight out of the dragon's mouth, an image that could instill quite the intense fear from people in the right situation.
EG, when the Fire Lord was angry.
"Well, at least it's over now," she supplied cheerfully, watching as he straightened his black and red robes before making his way towards the immense double doors. The flame behind him died down, shoulders back and back straight as he strode across the marble floor.
"For now," he said glumly, indicating that whatever they'd been discussing had merely been tabled for another time, more than likely the next day. While Zuko was respected and everyone knew he was loved by the people, it was always a struggle getting aristocrats to make any concessions that could in any way be conceived as taking from their established positions. "I wish we could just get rid of the aristocrats altogether," he mused with obvious frustration, ebony locks flowing as he courteously bowed to the few people they made their way past in the hall heading towards his room. "But I know that would put you in a bad spot, so I guess there's nothing for it," his voice sounded in her ears, an ever so slight hint of a snicker on his words.
"Well, thank you for not doing anything to make things harder for people," Ty Lee added in her usual chipper tone. While he undoubtedly made mistakes, she understood how difficult it had been for him to get to the position he was currently in. She had seen how cruel and malicious his family had been, something that could definitely have pushed him to become like his sister, or worse, his father.
The pair gradually made their way towards his lavish bedroom, the last stray beams of sunlight shining through the tall, angled windows. Braziers and sconces began to be lit, servants ensuring that the palace was well lit even as night approached, in cased of intruders or any other conceivable event necessitating clear visibility.
But more than the changing of light sources, or the obvious passing of time, Ty Lee kept her eyes focused squarely on the man in front of her, peripherals scanning for even the slightest signs of movement. A light chuckle escaped her lips, knowing that as a teen growing up in the Fire Nation she never would have imagined herself in this position.
"What's so funny?" Zuko's voice struck her, his head turned slightly to the right, his shimmering gold eyes catching her dumb in her step.
"Oh, nothing," she excused, sensing a slight shift in his aura as a small chuckle escaped his lips. Those were the moments she found herself treasuring the most. The fleeting genuine smiles that he flashed between moments of intense introspection and conflict.
"No, what?" he pushed a bit, his feet maintaining their pace towards his chambers.
"It's stupid," her voice squeaked slightly, cheeks flushing slightly beneath her white face paint. "I was just thinking how weird it is how things end up sometimes." The words filled the space between them, eliciting a somewhat somber snicker from her friend.
"Weird is one word for it." Ty Lee frowned as she felt his aura darken a bit, the yellow and red mingling together to make an ugly orange-ish tint. Obviously something was eating at him, but she knew he would always push her concerns aside and try to handle it himself. He stopped as he approached the door to his chambers, pondering over what had happened in the meeting. "I guess that's why we keep moving ahead, trying our best to do the right thing and hoping for the best," he added, each syllable resonating within her, eliciting small shivers down her spine.
"Are you alright, Zuko?" she asked, feeling a hint of stress and exhaustion as he spoke.
"...I'm fine. Just been a long day," he replied, his voice scratching just a touch, sounding more like the kid he used to be for a moment.
'I knew he'd say that,' she thought, a crack of a frown crossing her features. 'Why does he always keep people out.' He was a wall at times, unreadable and unable to reach out for help no matter how often those around him had proved they had his back regardless of what was going on.
The isolation he felt as Fire Lord was apparent to anyone who spent even a minimal amount of time with him. Sure, he was able to put on the facade of the strong ruler, and show the strength that was needed for his people, but the fragility was obvious with the subtle movements of his body, the solemness of his sharp features. But it wasn't her place to try and force him to reach out, to ask for help.
The tone of his aura bothered her, as it always did when he was dealing with something. Zuko had never believed in the aura stuff, the spiritual side of things, but it was a natural gift she had for reading people. She was not an idiot, but at the same time matters of statecraft were things that were most definitely outside of her area of expertise. Brown bangs hung down as she hung her head slightly, wishing she could somehow take his burdens from him.
Powerlessness coursed through her. Helping friends was one of the things that she found most joy in, but the person she wanted to help the most seemed unreachable. Unable to fully open his soul and his heart to let people in.
Not that it was an incomprehensible mindset to have. Growing up with Azula, seeing how cruelly Ozai had treated him, then having his mother disappear on him. Sure, they had reconciled, and he had gotten to know his niece, but that scar never fully healed.
She felt completely out of her element. What was she to him? Was he grateful to have her around, or would he be fine if she just disappeared? This final thought was the match on the fuel of the feelings that had been simmering inside for all these years, ever since that vacation to the beach.
"Zuko?" she asked sheepishly after a moment, his hand catching on the golden handle to his bedroom. "Am I really helpful to you?" Words she'd pondered over her time as his bodyguard, her time watching over him as his shadow.
"Where did that come from?" his face pulled into a confused expression, his body turning to face the young woman. Fists curled tightly at her side, Ty Lee looked down at the ground, afraid to look up and look into his eyes again. All the promises she'd made to herself, all the feelings she'd held back threatened to overtake her, to push her past the breaking point and spill everything to him.
"You're so amazing, Zuko. Ever since you were a kid, you always kept going, kept pushing forward no matter the odds." A trail of tears tugged at the corners of her eyes, the salty fluid slipping gently down her cheek. There was no going back, the dam had broken. "All the burdens on your shoulders, all the strain of ruling the country, helping Aang with Republic City, you're always pushing yourself. Never thinking of how much these things are weighing on you, always telling me things are fine, or that you can handle it yourself. I don't like that," the words fell easily from her lips, the white and red paint streaking with her tears. "I'm not just your body guard, Zuko, I'm your friend. I always have been. And I know you think you have to put everything on your own back, but I'm here too!"
Zuko watched his friend, her slender frame shaking as the tears fell unfettered down her round cheeks, pinkish droplets dripping onto the dark marble on the floor. His eyes blinked stupidly, his mind a rush of thoughts and feelings. Had he really been such a jerk? His problems were his own, and he had never wanted to put more weight onto her narrow shoulders than she already had worrying about his safety.
But as he watched her shivering with frustration and anger, it felt like he was seeing her, really seeing her for the first time. The brown braid tied up behind her neck swayed back and forth as her rant sounded in his ears, all her emotions pouring out into the space between them. And for the briefest of moments he thought maybe he could see her aura, a subtle tint of gold mingled with an odd shade of green. Yet on a disbelieving blink of his eyes, the shading disappeared, leaving him staring at his friend clad in green, the chest armor heaving as her breathing deepened.
Had he really been such a bad friend? Had he simply taken her for granted, just accepting as a fact that she was always going to be there? Thinking back, Ty Lee had been there for him even before the war had ended. She had been the one trying to get him out of his shell on the beach, had stood up to Azula in order to save Mai and himself in the process. She had been his shadow, his reliable bodyguard through all the turbulent events immediately following the war.
The soft, warm, easy way she had about her had made things just that slightly bit more bearable, supporting him when he knew full well that things seemed far too overwhelming in regards to dealing with the aristocrats of the Fire Nation. Sure, she could get on his nerves by being far too optimistic for his liking, but it helped mellow things out when his intensity threatened to overwhelm him.
Plus as much as the benders he knew were awe inspiring and impressive with the scope of their abilities, Ty Lee had proven time again that she was no slouch. His safety had always been in good hands with her. He'd even have been willing to wager that she could go toe to tow with any martial artist he had ever met.
It was always in his nature to try and take things on by himself, to try not to let his issues burden those around him. It had been difficult if he was honest with himself. Seeing the relative freedom that the rest of his friends seemed to enjoy had added to the gunk gnawing at his insides. He cared deeply for them all, and he knew he would never be the person he was now without having met them, but a small amount of resentment always stung him, something he hated himself for.
But not Ty Lee. She had been there for everything, staying with him through everything, never more than a room apart. He really had been a bad friend. Treating her the same as Azula always had, simply as a side note to his own issues. The brightness and cheer she always exuded was easy to take for granted, making it possible to forget that she had her own issues, her own worries, her own pain.
'How did I never realize it before,' he thought to himself, cursing his carelessness.
"I want to help you, but I can't do anything-" she was cut off as Zuko closed the distance between them, his arms encircling her around the shoulder, bringing a widening of her chocolate tinted eyes. Ty Lee's mind fritzed out, unable to comprehend what was happening for a moment.
His body felt so warm, warmer than she had ever imagined in her fantasies, burning away even the concept that there was a world outside of the immediate space around them. Strong arms held her in place, his angular jaw tightened slightly as it rested on her shoulder, his cheek resting in the crook of her neck.
"Zuko…?" she questioned, hands spasming a bit at her sides, unsure what to make of the sudden turn of the situation.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"That I was being such a bad friend," he explained, his voice cracking as his arms squeezed her a bit tighter.
"How could I?" she spoke softly, her emotions evening out slightly, slender fingers finding their way around his waist. "You always push me away when I ask what's wrong, and I don't want to make things harder for you by putting you more on edge," Ty Lee explained, greyish eyes closing as she felt his heat flowing into her, the scent of his soap and the hints of ash filling her nostrils.
Feeling him pull back a bit, she held him slightly tighter, his embrace comforting her, making her feel safe. Pulling his right arm from around her, he pressed a finger to her chin, gently tilting her face upward so that they were eye to eye. "I won't know I'm doing anything wrong if you don't tell me," Zuko spoke softly, the gold eyes melting her to the core as they bored deeply into her.
"It's not my place to tell the Fire Lord anything," she said, a small, sad snicker dropping from her lips.
"If not you, then who?"
"We could get Katara in here."
"Funny," he said, his smile returning as he gazed at his long time friend, lifting his robe's sleeve to wipe at her runny nose.
"No, don't do that," Ty Lee tried to squirm free, not wanting to put him out like that. Freeing her own arms, she wiped at her eyes and her nose with her gloved hands, sniffling as the tears ceased.
"Now who's being stubborn?" he joked, earning a nudge to his chest.
"Still you, I promise," her heart leapt as she saw him smile, the first genuine, full smile she had seen from him in so long.
"Jerk."
"Yeah you are," she said, her temperature rising as she gazed back at him, gently biting down on her bottom lip. "But do you promise you'll try to let me in a little bit more? I'm always here for you, Zuko, so you can share-"
Words ceased to flow, hazel eyes widening in surprise as she felt his lips pressing firmly against her own, his hands resting squarely on the curve of her hips. Thoughts followed words, nothing processing properly in her mind for a moment. Once the moment sunk in, Ty Lee sunk her body against his, arms flying up to clasp around his neck, eyes closing as she tried to savor the moment, to somehow will it to last longer.
Letting the long strands of ebony locks drape across her fingers, the young woman dug her fingertips into the flesh of his shoulder, a small whimper escaping her lips as his palms softly cupped her face, thumbs tracing small circles beneath her cheekbones. Each movement of his digits was like a sizzling shock of electricity, heart pushing heat down into her stomach and lower. The green fabric covering her body felt far too heavy at that moment, the warmth welling inside her feeling like it was about to explode.
A rush of cold seemed to permeate her being as Zuko pulled away, his own normally pale cheeks subtly tinted in red as their mixed saliva shimmered on his lips. Flexing her toes, Ty Lee tried to lean up, to recapture the kiss, to feel that heat spreading throughout her. But with a small, shy smile, he leaned back, his body creating a small amount of distance between the pair.
With a flutter, Ty Lee felt her eyes open halfway, a dreamy expression crossing her face as she stared seductively up at him. "Where did that come from?" she asked softly, her voice dropping to a low, playfully husky tone as her fingers idly clutched at his robes.
"Seemed like the right thing at the time," he said, his voice catching in his throat as he looked down at her. A subtle flick of his tongue along his lips told her that he had definitely enjoyed what had happened and wanted more. "Ty Lee, I really do appreciate everything you do for me, everything you have done for me," he spoke after a moment lost in her chocolate toned eyes, his own honey spheres drifting idly over all her features.
"So do you kiss everyone that you appreciate?" Ty Lee teased, slowly closing the distance between them. She knew that their location was dangerous, and someone could happen by at any moment, if they hadn't already, but that couldn't bother her at that moment.
"Of course not." she chuckled a bit at his straight, flustered expression. A small squeak escaped her lips as he held her hips, the effect of their kiss pressing firmly against her through their clothing. "But you've always been here for me, always tried to brighten things up even when I was so moody and angry." The words fell softly on her ears, the gentle rumble causing an intense swell of warmth beneath her stomach.
Was she imagining things? Was this all in her head? She prayed to Agni that it was real, that this was happening for real.
"And I know I don't always show it, but I… really like having you around," he said softly, the firm, proud Fire Lord disappearing for that moment, leaving her staring at her friend on the beach once again.
"I really like being around you, Zuko," she responded, biting her bottom lip as she looked deeply into his eyes.
"I'm glad. I honestly don't think I could do all this-" Now it was her turn to cut him off, eyes closing as she pressed as firm, yet soft kiss to his lips. His arms found their way fully around her waist, pulling her closely against his body.
Lush, plump lips seemed to glow in the soft firelight, the pair breathing heavily as it was Ty Lee's turn to create distance between them, eyelids fluttering as she grasped her hands together behind her back. "Well, if you really mean that, then you better get some rest, buster." A laugh threatened to escape her as his mouth seemed to open and close, his mind not properly processing getting blue balled.
A thought that made it extremely difficult for her to pull away herself. 'I need to get to my room asap,' she thought, feeling the sweet nectar from her soaking through her panties.
Once Zuko got back to thinking normally, black locks of hair swaying softly as he shook his head. "Yes ma'am," he said gently, leaning down and planting a soft, sweet kiss on her round cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow," Zuko's words weighed on her, the dampness in her underwear increasing as she pondered the unspoken words on his voice.
The door to his chamber opened and closed, the young man shooting a knowing look over his shoulder towards his friend. Ty Lee listened as his footsteps sounded within the room, before she leaned heavily against the wall next to his door.
"I can't wait," she muttered softly to herself before pushing off to head back to the bath house to clean up. They'd started something, and by gosh she was going to see where it went, the thought sending a wide, satisfied smile across her face.
It was going to be tough sleeping that night.